The present disclosure generally relates to optical fiber equipment and related tools, and in particular to optical fiber cleavers and cleaving tools having a disposable cleaver.
Optical fibers can be used to transmit or process light in a variety of applications. Benefits of optical fiber include extremely wide bandwidth and low noise operation. Because of the advantages, optical fiber is increasingly being used for a variety of applications, including but not limited to broadband voice, video, and data transmission. Fiber optic networks employing optical fiber are being developed and used to deliver voice, video, and data transmissions to subscribers over both private and public networks. These fiber optic networks often include separated connection points linking optical fibers to provide “live fiber” from one connection point to another connection point. In this regard, fiber optic equipment is located in data distribution centers or central offices to support interconnections.
Optical communication networks involve termination preparations to establish connections between disparate optical fibers. For example, optical fibers can be spliced together to establish an optical connection and in some cases, it may be necessary for a technician to establish the optical connection in the field. This involves cutting or cleaving of the optical fiber to prepare an appropriate end face on the optical fiber. The technician may employ a cleaver that includes a blade to score, scribe, or otherwise induce a flaw in the glass of the optical fiber. Inducing a flaw in the glass of an optical fiber precedes breaking the glass at the flaw to produce an end face. The blade may either be pressed into the glass or swiped across the glass to induce the flaw. The end face can then either be spliced to another optical fiber or connectorized with a fiber optic connector to establish an optical connection.
Typically, in order to cleave an optical fiber properly, the optical fiber must be precisely positioned relative to a set of critical components within a fiber cleaver, such as a fiber alignment element, a fiber gripping surface, a conventional cleaver blade, and a cleaving anvil.
However, conventional cleaver blades are expensive. Conventional cleaver blades may employ an expensive hardened material(s), including diamond, sapphire, ruby, ceramics, steel, and carbide, as examples. Further, the conventional cleaver blade needs to include an extremely sharp edge to minimize the size of the flaw induced in the glass to reduce risk of damaging the core of the optical fiber to provide efficient light transfer. Providing a sharp edge on the conventional cleaver blade adds cost. Inducing a large flaw in the glass may create a poor end face. Maintenance must be provided to keep the conventional cleaver blade sharp. Further, traditional cleavers may not always be available in the field. A need thus exists for a less expensive disposable cleaver and method of cleaving an optical fiber that can be used in the field in the absence of a traditional cleaver. It is to the provision of such a cleaver and method that the present disclosure is primarily directed.